ASSESSING THE QUALITY OF VIRTUAL HEALTHCARE

Virtual healthcare has become extremely important to the day to day operations of many hospitals and healthcare providers. While the popular belief is that the quality of a virtual visit isn’t as good as an in-person visit, a lot of people are actually satisfied and find virtual healthcare more convenient and personal than in-person doctor visits. Several studies have even found that virtual visits are more convenient and efficient for both doctors and patients alike.

The quality of virtual healthcare compared to in-person visits

• According to McKinsey, virtual health has the potential to heavily disrupt the multi-trillion dollar healthcare industry.
• While virtual healthcare has not seen the uptick in popularity that experts predicted, the practice of virtual doctor visits is quite popular with people that have used those services.
• According to a 2019 article on the patients experience with telehealth, the majority of patients (62.9%) and 59.0% of clinicians reported that there was no difference in “the overall quality of the visit” compared to in-person visits.
• However, the vast majority of patients and medical practitioners found virtual visits both more convenient and efficient.
• A Massachusetts General Hospital study has reported that patients were able to create stronger personal connections with their medical providers during the telehealth visits.
• The report has also found that patients tend to be more relaxed and candid during their telemedicine visit because they do not have to miss work or wait for a long time to meet with their medical practitioner.
• Another McKinsey survey has reported that 74% of telehealth users were very satisfied with the virtual medical services offered to them.
• Several doctors have also reported that virtual healthcare has given them greater continuity and deeper relationships with their patients.
• A survey of ACP members has shown that as much as 51% of their medical practitioners use telehealth services as part of their practices, with 63% using the technology every week.
• On the other hand, traditional personal visits are neither pleasant nor very helpful according to a study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
• Over 64% of primary care providers and 80% of specialists either didn’t ask the patient why they came or gave them 11 seconds before interrupting them.
• The study showed that, in most cases, in-person visits feature “appalling bedside manners and poor communication.”
• A big part of that is the sense of urgency installed by the hospital system.
• A study by the Annals of Internal Medicine found that only a third of the physician‘s time in the office is spent on face-to-face patient visits, while more than half of their time is spent on EHR and desk work.